1 John 4:7

Translation
King James Version
¶ Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Beloved G27, let us love G25 one another G240: for G3754 love G26 is G2076 of G1537 God G2316; and G2532 every one G3956 that loveth G25 is born G1080 of G1537 God G2316, and G2532 knoweth G1097 God G2316.
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Complete Jewish Bible
Beloved friends, let us love one another; because love is from God; and everyone who loves has God as his Father and knows God.
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Berean Standard Bible
Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
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American Standard Version
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God.
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World English Bible Messianic
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Beloued, let vs loue one another: for loue commeth of God, and euery one that loueth, is borne of God, and knoweth God.
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Young's Literal Translation
Beloved, may we love one another, because the love is of God, and every one who is loving, of God he hath been begotten, and doth know God;
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See also
1 John 4:81 John 4:201 John 5:11 Peter 1:221 John 2:10Galatians 5:222 Timothy 1:7
In the KJVVerse 30,611 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

The Apostle John, in 1 John 4:7, presents a foundational truth about the nature of God and the authentic marks of Christian faith. This verse asserts that genuine love originates from God Himself, and its active presence in a believer's life serves as irrefutable evidence of spiritual rebirth and an intimate, experiential knowledge of the Divine. It calls believers to embody this divine love as a primary characteristic of their identity in Christ.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: 1 John 4:7 is situated within a crucial section of John's first epistle, specifically 1 John 4, where he emphasizes the inseparable link between knowing God and demonstrating love. Having just discussed the importance of discerning spirits and testing prophecies in 1 John 4:1-6, John pivots to the ultimate test of genuine faith: love. He contrasts true believers, who walk in love, with false teachers and those who claim to know God but lack this essential characteristic. For John, love is not merely an emotion but a tangible expression of one's spiritual regeneration and knowledge of God, providing a clear pathway to discern true faith from counterfeit claims, especially in light of the Gnostic tendencies he was combating.

  • Historical & Cultural Context: John's epistle was likely written towards the end of the first century, a time when early Christian communities faced internal strife from false teachers (proto-Gnostics) who denied the true humanity of Christ and promoted a form of spiritual elitism that often led to moral laxity or indifference towards others. These teachers claimed superior knowledge (gnosis) of God, yet their lives lacked the practical outworking of love. John directly counters these claims by asserting that true knowledge of God is not intellectual assent alone but is demonstrated through ethical conduct, primarily love for fellow believers. The emphasis on "one another" reflects the communal nature of early Christian life and the importance of internal cohesion against external pressures and internal heresies.

  • Key Themes: 1 John 4:7 contributes significantly to several overarching themes in John's epistle. Firstly, it reinforces the theme of God's Nature as Love, which is explicitly stated in 1 John 4:8. This verse establishes that love is not merely an attribute of God but His very essence, making it the source of all true love. Secondly, it highlights Love as Evidence of New Birth. John consistently links spiritual regeneration to visible actions, and here, love is presented as the primary fruit of being born of God. Thirdly, the verse underscores the theme of Knowing God Experientially. For John, "knowing God" is not intellectual but relational and transformative, a knowledge that manifests in a life of love. This contrasts with the false teachers' claims of superior knowledge without corresponding ethical fruit, a point John emphasizes throughout 1 John.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • love (Greek, agapáō', G25): This word signifies a profound, self-sacrificial, and benevolent love, distinct from mere affection (philia) or romantic desire (eros). It describes the kind of unconditional love God demonstrates towards humanity and the kind He calls believers to exhibit towards one another. It is a volitional, active love that seeks the well-being of the beloved, even at personal cost.
  • born (Greek, gennáō', G1080): This term means "to procreate" or "to beget," but figuratively, it refers to spiritual regeneration. When applied to believers, it denotes a new spiritual birth, a divine impartation of life from God. This new birth implies a transformation of nature, enabling the one "born of God" to manifest characteristics inherent to their divine Parent, especially love.
  • knoweth (Greek, ginṓskō', G1097): This verb implies a personal, experiential, and intimate knowledge gained through relationship, rather than mere intellectual understanding or theoretical knowledge. To "know God" in this sense means to have a transforming relationship with Him that impacts one's character and actions, leading to a natural outflow of love.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Beloved, let us love one another": John begins with an affectionate address, "Beloved" (ἀγαπητοί, agapētoí), highlighting the familial bond among believers. The imperative "let us love" is an exhortation to actively and continually practice this divine love within the community. This is not a suggestion but a command, emphasizing the communal responsibility to embody God's nature.
  • "for love is of God;": This clause provides the foundational reason for the command to love. It asserts that true love (agape) does not originate from human nature or effort but flows directly "from God" (ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ, ek tou theou). God is the ultimate source and essence of love, meaning that any genuine expression of love reflects His character and nature.
  • "and every one that loveth is born of God,": This statement establishes a direct link between the practice of love and spiritual regeneration. The presence of agape love in a person's life is presented as clear evidence that they have experienced a new birth, a spiritual transformation by God. It signifies that they have received God's nature and are His children.
  • "and knoweth God.": This final clause connects the act of loving and being born of God to an intimate, experiential knowledge of God. True knowledge of God is not merely intellectual assent but a relational understanding that transforms one's life. To genuinely know God is to reflect His primary attribute—love—in one's interactions with others, making love the tangible proof of this divine relationship.

Literary Devices

John employs several literary devices in 1 John 4:7 to convey his profound message. The opening address, "Beloved," serves as a term of Endearment and Affection, establishing a pastoral and intimate tone that invites the readers into a familial relationship with the author and with one another. The verse also utilizes Didacticism, directly teaching a fundamental theological truth about the origin and nature of love. Furthermore, there is a clear Cause and Effect structure: because love is "of God," those who love are "born of God" and "know God." This logical progression emphasizes the inseparable connection between divine origin, spiritual regeneration, and practical manifestation. The Repetition of the concept of "love" (verb and noun) and "God" throughout the verse underscores their centrality to John's argument, creating a powerful and memorable statement about Christian identity and conduct.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

1 John 4:7 is a theological cornerstone, asserting that love is not merely a Christian virtue but a direct emanation of God's very being. This divine origin means that genuine love is supernatural, flowing from God's essence into the hearts of those who are spiritually reborn. It is the primary evidence of a transformed life, demonstrating that one has truly entered into an intimate, experiential relationship with the Creator. This understanding elevates love beyond a mere ethical command to a profound theological reality: to love is to participate in the divine nature and to bear the family likeness of God.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

1 John 4:7 presents both a profound comfort and a challenging call to action for believers today. The comfort lies in understanding that the capacity for true, self-sacrificial love is not something we conjure up on our own but is a divine gift, a natural outflow of being "born of God." If we find ourselves struggling to love, this verse reminds us to look to the Source—God Himself—and to remember our identity as His children. The challenge, however, is equally potent: our love for one another serves as the most compelling evidence of our spiritual reality and our knowledge of God. In a world often characterized by division, self-interest, and animosity, the church is called to be a counter-cultural community defined by the very love that flows from God. This means actively pursuing reconciliation, extending grace, practicing forgiveness, and serving others, even when it is difficult or costly. Our love for fellow believers is not merely an internal spiritual exercise but a powerful, visible testimony to a watching world, inviting them to encounter the God who is love.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does my daily life reflect the truth that "love is of God"?
  • In what specific ways can I more intentionally "love one another" within my Christian community and beyond?
  • How does the concept of "being born of God" connect to my capacity to love, and what does this imply about moments when I struggle to show love?
  • What does "knowing God" experientially mean for me, and how does my love for others demonstrate this knowledge?

FAQ

What kind of "love" is John referring to in this verse?

Answer: John is referring to agape love (Greek: ἀγάπη), which is a distinct type of love in the New Testament. Unlike philia (brotherly affection) or eros (romantic desire), agape is a self-sacrificial, unconditional, and benevolent love. It is a love that chooses to act for the good of another, regardless of their worthiness or whether they reciprocate. This is the very nature of God's love for humanity, as demonstrated in John 3:16, and it is the kind of love He calls His followers to embody.

How does "love" prove that someone is "born of God" and "knows God"?

Answer: For John, love is not just an emotion or a moral command; it is the natural and inevitable fruit of a transformed life. If God is love (1 John 4:8), then those who are "born of God" (spiritually regenerated by Him) will inherently bear His character, which is love. Just as a child resembles its parent, a person born of God will exhibit God's loving nature. Similarly, "knowing God" is not merely intellectual assent but an intimate, experiential relationship that transforms one's character. To truly know God is to be conformed to His image, and since His primary attribute is love, a life characterized by agape love is the clearest evidence of this deep, relational knowledge. As Jesus Himself stated in John 13:35, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

1 John 4:7 finds its ultimate fulfillment and most profound expression in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the embodiment of the truth that "love is of God," for He is God incarnate, and His entire life was a living demonstration of agape love. From His humble birth to His sacrificial death, Jesus perfectly revealed the Father's heart of love, culminating in His willingness to lay down His life for His enemies (Romans 5:8). Through Christ, we are not only shown what divine love looks like, but we are also enabled to participate in it. It is by being "born of God" through faith in Christ (John 1:12-13) that the Holy Spirit pours God's love into our hearts (Romans 5:5), empowering us to "love one another" as He loved us (John 15:12). Thus, our capacity to love is a direct result of Christ's redemptive work, making love the undeniable mark of those who truly "know God" through Him.

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Commentary on 1 John 4 verses 7–13

As the Spirit of truth is known by doctrine (thus spirits are to be tried), it is known by love likewise; and so here follows a strong fervent exhortation to holy Christian love: Beloved, let us love one another, Jo1 4:7. The apostle would unite them in his love, that he might unite them in love to each other: "Beloved, I beseech you, by the love I bear to you, that you put on unfeigned mutual love." This exhortation is pressed and urged with variety of argument: as,

I. From the high and heavenly descent of love: For love is of God. He is the fountain, author, parent, and commander of love; it is the sum of his law and gospel: And every one that loveth (whose spirit is framed to judicious holy love) is born of God, Jo1 4:7. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of love. The new nature in the children of God is the offspring of his love: and the temper and complexion of it is love. The fruit of the Spirit is love, Gal 5:22. Love comes down from heaven.

II. Love argues a true and just apprehension of the divine nature: He that loveth knoweth God, Jo1 4:7. He that loveth not knoweth not God, Jo1 4:8. What attribute of the divine Majesty so clearly shines in all the world as his communicative goodness, which is love. The wisdom, the greatness, the harmony, and usefulness of the vast creation, which so fully demonstrate his being, do at the same time show and prove his love; and natural reason, inferring and collecting the nature and excellence of the most absolute perfect being, must collect and find that he is most highly good: and he that loveth not (is not quickened by the knowledge he hath of God to the affection and practice of love) knoweth not God; it is a convictive evidence that the sound and due knowledge of God dwells not in such a soul; his love must needs shine among his primary brightest perfections; for God is love (Jo1 4:8), his nature and essence are love, his will and works are primarily love. Not that this is the only conception we ought to have of him; we have found that he is light as well as love (Jo1 1:5), and God is principally love to himself, and he has such perfections as arise from the necessary love he must bear to his necessary existence, excellence, and glory; but love is natural and essential to the divine Majesty: God is love. This is argued from the display and demonstration that he hath given of it; as, 1. That he hath loved us, such as we are: In this was manifest the love of God towards us (Jo1 4:9), towards us mortals, us ungrateful rebels. God commandeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, Rom 5:8. Strange that God should love impure, vain, vile, dust and ashes! 2. That he has loved us at such a rate, at such an incomparable value as he has given for us; he has given his own, only-beloved, blessed Son for us: Because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him, Jo1 4:9. This person is in some peculiar distinguishing way the Son of God; he is the only-begotten. Should we suppose him begotten as a creature or created being, he is not the only-begotten. Should we suppose him a natural necessary eradication from the Father's glory or glorious essence, or substance, he must be the only-begotten: and then it will be a mystery and miracle of divine love that such a Son should be sent into our world for us! It may well be said, So (wonderfully, so amazingly, so incredibly) God loved the world. 3. That God loved us first, and in the circumstances in which we lay: Herein is love (unusual unprecedented love), not that we loved God, but that he loved us, Jo1 4:10. He loved us, when we had no love for him, when we lay in our guilt, misery, and blood, when we were undeserving, ill-deserving, polluted, and unclean, and wanted to be washed from our sins in sacred blood. 4. That he gave us his Son for such service and such an end. (1.) For such service, to be the propitiation for our sins; consequently to die for us, to die under the law and curse of God, to bear our sins in his own body, to be crucified, to be wounded in his soul, and pierced in his side, to be dead and buried for us (Jo1 4:10); and then, (2.) For such an end, for such a good and beneficial end to us - that we might live through him (Jo1 4:9), might live for ever through him, might live in heaven, live with God, and live in eternal glory and blessedness with him and through him: O what love is here! Then,

III. Divine love to the brethren should constrain ours: Beloved (I would adjure you by your interest in my love to remember), if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another, Jo1 4:11. This should be an invincible argument. The example of God should press us. We should be followers (or imitators) of him, as his dear children. The objects of the divine love should be the objects of ours. Shall we refuse to love those whom the eternal God hath loved? We should be admirers of his love, and lovers of his love (of the benevolence and complacency that are in him), and consequently lovers of those whom he loves. The general love of God to the world should induce a universal love among mankind. That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth his rain on the just and on the unjust, Mat 5:45. The peculiar love of God to the church and to the saints should be productive of a peculiar love there: If God so loved us, we ought surely (in some measure suitably thereto) to love one another.

IV. The Christian love is an assurance of the divine inhabitation: If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, Jo1 4:12. Now God dwelleth in us, not by any visible presence, or immediate appearance to the eye (no man hath seen God at any time, Jo1 4:12), but by his Spirit (Jo1 4:13); or, "No man hath seen God at any time; he does not here present himself to our eye or to our immediate intuition, and so he does not in this way demand and exact our love; but he demands and expects it in that way in which he has thought meet to deserve and claim it, and that is in the illustration that he has given of himself and of his love (and thereupon of his loveliness too) in the catholic church, and particularly in the brethren, the members of that church. In them, and in his appearance for them and with them, is God to be loved; and thus, if we love one another, God dwelleth in us. The sacred lovers of the brethren are the temples of God; the divine Majesty has a peculiar residence there."

V. Herein the divine love attains a considerable end and accomplishment in us: "And his love is perfected in us, Jo1 4:12. It has obtained its completion in and upon us. God's love is not perfected in him, but in and with us. His love could not be designed to be ineffectual and fruitless upon us; when its proper genuine end and issue are attained and produced thereby, it may be said to be perfected; so faith is perfected by its works, and love perfected by its operations. When the divine love has wrought us to the same image, to the love of God, and thereupon to the love of the brethren, the children of God, for his sake, it is therein and so far perfected and completed, though this love of ours is not at present perfect, nor the ultimate end of the divine love to us." How ambitious should we be of this fraternal Christian love, when God reckons his own love to us perfected thereby! To this the apostle, having mentioned the high favour of God's dwelling in us, subjoins the note and character thereof: Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit, Jo1 4:13. Certainly this mutual inhabitation is something more noble and great than we are well acquainted with or can declare. One would think that to speak of God dwelling in us, and we in him, were to use words too high for mortals, had not God gone before us therein. What this indwelling imports has been briefly explained on Jo1 3:24. What it fully is must be left to the revelation of the blessed world. But this mutual inhabitation we know, says the apostle, because he hath given us of his spirit; he has lodged the image and fruit of his Spirit in our hearts (Jo1 4:13), and the Spirit that he hath given us appears to be his, or of him, since it is the Spirit of power, of zeal and magnanimity for God, of love to God and man, and of a sound mind, of an understanding well instructed in the affairs of God and religion, and his kingdom among men, Ti2 1:7.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 7–13. Public domain.
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Didymus the BlindAD 398
COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
Just as the person who does not choose what he ought to choose has done wrong and does not love what he ought to love, so those who love only those who are worthy of love receive only that level of praise due to them.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
ON THE GIFT OF PERSEVERANCE 21.56
Love is from God, as have declared those whom he has made not only his great lovers but also his great preachers.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
City of God 17.4
To practice righteousness and judgment means to live virtuously, and to live virtuously means to obey God’s law, the purpose of which is to help us to base our lives on the principle of love. This is the love which comes from God, as John says.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Ten Homilies on 1 John 7
"Beloved, let us love one another." Why? Because a man adviseth? "Because love is of God." Much hath he commended love, in that he hath said, "Is of God:" but he is going to say more; let us eagerly hear. At present he hath said, "Love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God." Why? "For God is love." What more could be said, brethren? If nothing were said in praise of love throughout the pages of this epistle, if nothing whatever throughout the other pages of the Scriptures, and this one only thing were all we were told by the voice of the Spirit of God, "For Love is God;" nothing more ought we to require.
Andreas of CaesareaAD 614
CATENA
What does it mean to say that love is from God? Surely this refers to the man who came from God, who was revealed according to the image and likeness of the one who made him? For when this man appeared, he was revealed as the beloved and as worthy of being loved. Now since this Savior has been sent into the world because of the Father’s great love for the things which he has made, those who have received this blessing and who are thus beloved ought to love one another. For each of us is loved and is called to love, having the command that we should love our neighbor.
BedeAD 735
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
And everyone who loves is born of God, etc. What more could be said? God is charity. Therefore, to act against charity is to act against God. Let no one say: I sin against man when I do not love my brother, and it is an easy sin against man, if I do not sin against God alone. How do you not sin against God, when you sin against charity? God is charity.
BedeAD 735
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Beloved, let us love one another, etc. He has highly recommended charity, which he said is from God; he is about to say more, let us listen attentively:
OecumeniusAD 990
Commentary on 1 John
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this, the love of God was revealed in us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Again, after the aforementioned, John resumes the discourse on love. For when he had shown whom one ought to love, namely those who are conformed in character, he adheres to what was said at the beginning, stating that both love and the one who loves are from God, and that only he who loves is born of God and knows God: while he who does not have love also does not know God, confirming opposites with opposites. How, then, does he who does not love not know God? He proves it in this way: "God is love." And how will this be revealed? From the fact that he sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might have true life through Him, and that we might live through Him. For just as goodness is said to exist because it has produced the intellectual and sensible world for the sake of goodness, so that He who truly is, might have some participants in Himself; likewise, also for the love with which He sent His Only Begotten into the world for us, He shows, even through this, that love exists. Therefore, He Himself adds: "By this, is love," that is, in this it is shown that God is love. Then, praising the goodness of God's love, he says: Not that we have loved Him, but that God did this, giving His Son for us, as if He ought to repay the beloved with an equal affection; but through love, first anticipating the benefit towards us, He sent His Son; and not only did He send Him, but also, for our sins, He was an atoning sacrifice by His own blood.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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